J
tat
troop r 1i1
complain
N J.(A Anattor-
ney representing ix Bl k ta
troope filed a complaint with
the Equal Employment Opportu­
nity Commission office Friday
clairnin th offi were vic­
tims of discrimination and racial
hazjng twor
Renee S inhagen, a ewark
attorney representing th troop­
ers, tiled th two-page complaint
at 2 p.m. Th attorn y said it was
on "behalf of the officers and all
imilarly ituated BI k persons
woo are in th employee of the
ta police."
According to Steinhagen, the
allegations in the complaint filed
by th ix officers include sta
police failing to consider Black
troopers for advancement, pro­
motion or pecial selection
The troopers also claim that
racist flyers have been distributed
for the past two years at northern
New Jersey barracks in Totowa,
'Newark and Bloomfield thelaw­
yersaid.
The EEOC complaint also in­
clud charges that state police
denied requests by Black troop­
ers for job trarsfers; unfairly im­
posed disciplinary measures to
preventtheiradvancement; failed
to elimina an atmosphere that
a rae ally tile
Daughters of
slain Black
leaders dicuss
racial problems
1A �� Kan. (AP)-1be
daughters of two civil rights leal­
ers lain in the 196CB say Blacks
can fight racism by reviving their
heritage and educating the public
to the role of Blacks in American
BOO world history.
Attallah Shabazz, daughter of
Malcolm X, and Yolanda King,
daughter of Martin Luther King
Jr., spoke about their fathers and
modem racial problems during a
recent joint appearance at the
University of Kamas.
"If you really knew woo you
were ... pride alone would ignite
you uphill," Shabazz said.
Asked how Blacks in Amer­
ica can best solve problems, King
said, "Nooody's going to save us
but \5. We need to develop a
tradition of support and apprecia­
tion for each other!'
King also told the largely stu­
dent crowd, ., You have a respon­
sibility to go back into your
community and do what you
can."
-
HE BlAMED television
stereotypes and poor parenting as
root causes of racial problems.
And he said history books
need to be rewri tten include the
achievements of Blacks and oth­
ers woo have been omitted.
"I don't believe racism will
ever disappear until we get thi�
right with th past, W<1 can't
change history but we can make
sure th .history in this country ...
never bappers again, " Kingsaid:
Shabazz said it was important
for poop le to respect others' opin­
ions, even if they disagree.
'If you don't believe in your-'
elf, you can't tand up for any­
trung,' hesaid. "I may not agree
with you, but I have to und rstand
that what you are saying com
from your pe onal experience."
Both women praised the ra­
cial mix 0 th KU audience.
"The dreams of both our fa­
thers ... y u're t tin that ,here, "
King said.
"People will y, 'Engler, where' the re­
lief?" Ballenger aid. "I think he'll be in b d
hape, aI¥1 I think S enow am Wolpe will
really be able to play on that"
Ballenger identified State Sen. Debbie
Stabenow, D-Lansing, am U.s. Rep .
Howard Wolpe, D- ing, as top prospects
to challenge Engler in the 1994 gubemajorial
race.
Another Lansing area lawJJl8ker, Rep.
Lynn Jondahl, D-Okemo t has abo beeniden­
tified by ome a probable contender, but
has not yet formally announced his caJX1i­
<lacy.
Engler butted heads with House
Democra on how to lower property tax
ince be took office. He am m t Senate
Republicans oppose the Bipartisan Legisla­
tive Team proposal (BL 1), which would cut
property taxes and raise the income tax until
the November 1994 election, when voters
would have the opportunity to replace the
income tax hike with a bigher ales tax.
JEFF PARROTT
Engler dmini tration official aid they
will never ign an incom hi, and that
voters bould realize that Propo al A i th
only way to go.
"THERE' TIll . D Y, thi
cynici m to ay, 'Well mayb tbere' anoth r
plan out there that' bet r than this," aid
Dan Pero, Engler' chief of taff. "But we're
not going to pull another one outofth drawer
and ay, 'O� here it is.' "It' not going to
happen. II
"Engler "Cut aI¥1 Cap" plan, defeated
soundly Propo a1 C on the November 1992
ballot, would have cut property t 20 per­
cent witbout reimbursing cbool d' tric for
their 10 t revenu .
Ballenger said if Proposal A i defeated at
the poll t Engler must put through some type
of property tax relief by ovember 1994 - a
"Cut am Cap Jr." or at least an ment
freeze - in order: to win re-election.
Michigan voters have repeatedly bot
r
LA G-Voters in t Jun 2 pecial
lection may b d iding on more than just
h th r they want to ral e th ta al tax
in exchange for property t relief.
They could hold Gov. John Engler's head
in their hand .
"The governor bitched his political tar
to thi proposal, " aid House Co-Speaker
Curti Hertel, D-Detroit "I think if it doesn't
pass it will be damaging to hi re-election
pro pects."
Bill Ball nger, editor 0 Insid Michigan
Politics, predicts that Mi biganians will hoot
down the shift, called Propo A.
AID SUCH a scenario would make
passage of property tax relief a top priori ty for
Engler, who knocked off Gov. James
Blanchard in 1990 after promising it to voters.
Witmut some type of property tax reform,
c
an
W�DA F. AOOUEMOR Igan CIIzen
General Colin Powell, keynote speaker for the recent Detroit Chapter NAACP �reedom Fund Dinner,
waves to the audience, Also pictured are Judge Damon Keith and Mrs. Cohn Powell. This year's
Freedom Fund Dinner raised over $1 million.
•• ........ .a._., • .a.:..R DI D voters
ill p the amendment by fIJI 0 margin.
P p al A, billed by i proponen
STAR (School and Taxpayer Agend for Re­
form), would rai th al t from 4 to 6
percent.cap mentinc at5 percent
or the rate of inflation, guarantee a minimum
of$4 per pupil in e funding d allow
chooldi tricts to levy a maximum of 18 mills
for operating purpo
School could levy up to an additional 9
mills with voter approval, to an lute
maximum of 27 mills.
_.
By KRISTINA MARLOW
CllpIf!/ N.w. S.rvlc.
LA ING--House Democrats and
Republicans are realizing that th
two parties may be on oppo ite id
of the ai le, but they're n t alway, on
oppo ite sid of an i u. .. . '.
The overall dynamic of h
House' plit leadership arrangem nt
continues to overshadow the i u
themselves. But after puttin in
place some elaborate provi ions for
anticipated problems, the unpr ce­
dented productivity in the last four
months apparently has proven doom­
sayers wrong.
The House, often criticized for be­
ing a part-time Legislature, h al­
ready met 36 times this year and
passed legi lation on looming i u .
The House has p ed major leg­
Islanon on auto i nsuran reform,
property tax- hool finance reform,
medical malpractice and inf true­
ture investment.
awma
r
u
ion
w
nece ary testing in order to protect the public' health.
"Thi allows downstream communiti to know
what's happening in their waterways " aid Sen. Wil­
liam Van Regenmorter, R-Jeni on, who introduced the
bill.
"I expect a large number of Michigan' population,
especially Southeastern Lower Michigan idents will'
be ob rving th e discharg . Now that there are.
monitoring ting and notification requiremen we
hould see a lot more public pres ure to clean up the
waterway."
By JENNIFER FINER
C.p,t.' New. S.rvlc»
IAN lNG-&me Michigan legi lato peculated
early attention would be given to preventing wage
from making its way into Michigan' waterway.
They were right. I
As part of the April 22, Earth Day celebration, Gov.
John Engler tood on the banks 0 Orand River, 'in
Orand Rapid, where he signed a biparti an, two-ho e
package of Combined' Sewage Overflow' (CSO) bills
into law with immediate effect. .
Lawmakers have pent years trying to pas eso
legislation, to clean up the estimated 16 bi1l!on. to �O
billion gallons of raw wage that enters Michigan
waterways each year.
Combined sewage y tem carry both municipal
w te and tonn water to ether to a aste water treat­
ment fa ility.
DURI G VY TORM th
not have high torage capacity and raw
flows into rivers and treams.
Under Michigan' new COlaw when a commu­
nity experiences an overflow it must notify all do n­
trearn communitie , the Department of atural
Resources and the local health department.
The di harging community must also provide all
MlCIDG W eso laws also allow interest
from -previously old bond to be put into the State
Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund. The State
Revolving fund i used by the tate to finance local
waste water plan and i capitalized by matchin
funds from the federal government and tied to the
Clean Water Act.
"Our goal is to move the ball forward here," . d
Rusty Hill, Engler' communications director.
"Rarely doe government solve 100 percent of any
particular problem and the . environment i one that
requi an on- oing commitment to Iv. '
Hitl aid the governor i very pi ed with the new
law beca e they will ub tantially improve the abil­
ity to clean ard protect Michigan' environment.
"IT' EVEN FO T ED a
spirit of cooperation which filters
do from the peakers office to th
individual .mernber " aid Co·
Speaker Curtis Hertel, D-Dctroit.
"In terms of th operations of the
body' and our ability to deal with i -
ues, even very difficult i u which
in the p t have been ... gridlocked,
the new sy tern seems to be working
quite well."
Vot in th Novemb r clccti n
sent a m age that they "are really
ick of .the game that are bern
•
I
II' -;, .... 1 hi
played up in Lansing" and expected
omething different out of returning
I gislators, Hertel aid. Since the
election, Hertel aid an atmosphere
of camaraderie and forward motion
h permeated t he House.
"I think we've cen more progress
• in th first ew months than in the last
two years," agreed Dan Pero, chief
of taff for Gov. J hn En ler.
"]lOTH REPUBLI AN and
Democrats in the House understand
that if you're going to move any
agenda forward you're going to need
biparti an support, because you're
oing to need at least on vote from
th other party."
The tanding committees may
b t demonstrate the working agree­
ment between the parti . Each com­
mittee 15 divided evenly between
Democra and Republicans with
leadership alternating each month.
T� co- peake expected com­
mittees to bottle up th other party'
bi 11 , but thc pro h flowed
freely.
"It's been hard to di cem either on
th floor or indeed in
the committee thems lv who'
in control 0 what because thi ngs
have been working moothly,"
-Hertel aid.
With two vacant ats to b filled
in June, th deli cat alance hangs in
jeopardy. But the two parties have
pledged to conti nue operation.
"We'll never 0 ba k to the old
way ," Hertel aid.. '
.BI-partlsan Harmony
Capital'